SALT LAKE CITY – A federal jury convicted the final defendant involved in an online romance scheme that cost dozens of victims more than $6 million. On Oct. 19, 2023, a Utah County woman, was found guilty of one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Nelly Idowu, 39, of Provo, Utah, participated in an online romance scheme from 2017 to 2019 that involved creating fake online dating profiles to befriend and romance victims. These victims were primarily single women over 65-years-old who were led to believe the fake persona they were engaging with had an urgent financial need. Some of the bogus financial needs included helping family members with emergency medical costs, helping a United States military member stranded overseas, or claims of unique investment opportunities. None of these financial needs were legitimate. Victims sent money to Idowu and her codefendants for these false purposes. Idowu and her codefendants then sent a significant amount of the victim funds to overseas accounts in China and Nigeria.

At trial, the United States presented evidence that Idowu’s personal and business accounts received more than $1 million from 2017 to 2019, and that additional amounts were received by Idowu’s coconspirators. Victims testified they were victims of scams involving fictitious online romance partners. They testified they sent the money to Idowu or her coconspirators as a result of the scam involving fictitious online romance partners.

Idowu’s sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 3.4 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge, Ted Stewart at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Codefendants Emmanuel Osaigbovo Adesotu, Nnamdi Joel Chukwu, and Julius Omene Fredrick were each previously convicted by guilty plea to a money laundering conspiracy. Adesotu was sentenced to a term of 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution jointly with codefendants. Fredrick was sentenced to a term of 46 months’ imprisonment. Chukwu’s sentencing is set for January 16, 2024.

U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Carl LeSueur and Mark Woolf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah presented the case at trial.

The FBI encourages those engaged in online relationships to review and become familiar with information about romance scams on its website FBI.gov. Additionally, if you or someone you know has been a victim of elder fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311 and online at the Office for Victims of Crime.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/guilty-all-counts-jury-convicts-utah-woman-online-romance-scam-cost-victims-over-6m

otokx:
Interesting Story, as usual there would be more sides to the story.

I actually know this pastor personally, being a deeper lifer and lived in Europe under him, this not good and needs to be addressed urgently!

All is not well with the Deeper Life Bible Church in Italy, the largest Christian denomination in the country. AfroLife can report authoritatively that the Church has broken apart following disagreement over money matters. The Church which struggled in the early days of the 90s to establish a foothold in Italy, has thrived since with over a thousand strong membership and branches across the nation. All that is now in the past as the Church is split down the middle and its future in the country in doubt.
Genesis of problem
The root cause of the dilemma is traceable to money, money and money. As it is now the norm with Nigerian mega Churches and their diaspora offshoots, the bug of money as basis for disagreement has caught up with Deeper Life. The Church in Nigeria has what it calls the Global Technology Fund which it uses to settle the bills of hosting its global services. The Churches in the diaspora are mandated to contribute to fund this project. Italy couldn’t meet up with its allotted quota which didn’t go down well with the hierarchy in Nigeria. Italy wrote the headquarters through Pastor Niran Seriki to explain the dare financial strait it was grappling with. Dust had hardly settled on this when the Italian Church was slammed with another N15 million (€35,000) bill as its contribution to the “Global Crusade” of the Church. The failure of the Church in Italy to come up with this sum didn’t go well with the hierarchy in Lagos. Soon after, Pastor James Theophilus Akpofure of the United Arab Emirate Church became the chairperson of the “Global Crusade” committee. Among his rites on ascension to the throne was slam a N30 million (€70,000) bill on Italy as its contribution for the purchase of Outside Broadcast, OB, van estimated to cost between €800,000 and €1,000,000. Akpofure was infuriated when Italy couldn’t make the contribution. He asked the Overseer of the Italian Church and Southern Europe, Pastor Olusola Akinyemi pointedly: “why are you like this? UK and USA are not like this.”
Akpofure was told that unlike the Churches in the UK and USA with high earning professionals, memberships of the churches in Italy in contrast, consist of poorly paid factory workers.

Dr Olusola Akinyemi resentful of a system that treated him like a slave
Italy peculiar circumstance
The Italian Church under the leadership of Olusola Akinyemi, a PhD holder in engineering from the University of Manchester and another Divinity degree from the University of London, in the last two decades embarked on an aggressive expansion programme of the Deeper Life in Italy. He arrived in Italy from the UK in those early days of the 90s when the Church strived. Through his personal sacrifices and those of the members with the application of creativity, accountability and innovation, he was able to turn the fortune of the Church around. For the past 28 years he has been in charge he hasn’t been paid a salary. Rather than paying exorbitant rents, Akinyemi outlined and began the implementation of a grandiose initiative of outright acquisition of properties with the instrument of mortgages or careful negotiation and agreements with owners. Over these years several of these properties have had their mortgages fully paid while others are still being paid for. Some of these commitments have led to court cases, some penal which Akinyemi and the Church’s hierarchy have been battling. The Church in Nigeria is aware of the challenges faced by Italy and did nothing to assist. All the General Superintendent, GS, of the Church Pastor WF Kumuyi did in 2007 was to direct Akinyemi to sell one of the properties to settle the debts. This was impossible under Italian laws. The courts needed guarantees and undertakings from the Church. Akinyemi travelled to Nigeria to have audience with Kumuyi, for two weeks he was there he couldn’t see the General Superintendent. He went to the UK where Kumuyi presided over a Deeper Life conference, and for four days all attempts to see the GS was frustrated. The only help Italy got came from the Church in the United Kingdom in 2007 and 2013.
Attempts to Diminish Akinyemi’s influence
As Overseer of Southern Europe, the churches in Italy, Spain, Israel, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Malta among others were directly under Akinyemi’s influence. After Italy was unable to contribute the N30 million (€70,000) for OB van, Akpofure returned to tell Akinyemi that Kumuyi directed him to take Turkey and Israel from under his influence. But when Akpofure saw the reality on the ground in Turkey that there was no money there to be taken he quickly turned to Akinyemi with the message that Kumuyi said Italy should continue to fund Turkey. Akinyemi made it clear that this wasn’t possible for the Church in Italy to continue to borrow money to fund Turkey while Akpofure runs it. Akpofure turned to the UK and USA to take over funding Turkey they too declined citing their own challenges. He had no choice but to return Turkey to Italy. The Pastor in charge in Turkey by then was being owed two months of his allowances. Italy eventually paid these off. While the stalemate lasted not even a phone call was made by Akpofure or the Church hierarchy in Nigeria to edify the distressed Turkey Church. In the case of Israel, Akpofure quickly took and transferred the $5,000 he met in their kitty to Nigeria. He wasn’t bothered about the scheduled conference to edify the brethren there by the Akinyemis for which they had bought flight tickets. All that money wasted. Akpofure and the Church in Nigeria four months on never bothered to offer any support after the cancellation of the conference, claiming he was too busy as Global Committee chairman.

A facility where the Deeper Life worships in La Rustica Rome
Autocratic and slavish structure
What is glaring as this drama unfolds is the autocratic and slavish structure of the Deeper Life Bible Church hierarchy. For instance, Akinyemi came to Italy in 1994 to pilot the Church, it would be exactly 28 years this month, and for all that time hadn’t been paid a salary. The hierarchy not minding what challenges its members in the diaspora are experiencing mandates it to send money to the Deeper Life International Conference Centre along Lagos-Ibadan express way in Nigeria. The quota given to Italy is two million dollars. The Global Committee is denying this but this is a fact. USA, UK, Northern Europe, Canada, Australia all have their quotas. For expressing his frustrations and saying it as it is with the Italian Church, Akinyemi is being branded confrontational not just to the Church hierarchy but Pastor Kumuyi the General Superintendent. In the recent past no fewer than three of their overseers in the diaspora have been removed or pressured out of office, including Olu Itiola, National Overseer, USA, Solomon Alabi, National Overseer Canada and Pre Ovia, European Overseer. A Zoom meeting summoned at the instance of Kumuyi over the matter became acrimonious. Pastor Anthony Ojo of the Netherlands was shut down for trying to calm the situation during the meeting. The hierarchy wasn’t bending backwards, it would send emissaries to Italy. All pleas by Akinyemi that such visit should be pushed from June while he was in the middle of preparing his students for their annual exams, fell on deaf ears.
Enters the Emissaries
The emissaries dispatched to Italy by the Church in Nigeria included Pastors Raheem Oni of New Jersey, USA, Paul Akowe of Plaistow, London, UK, John Amoni, Zambia and George Olofintunyi, United Arab Emirates. For months they were in Italy, these emissaries were lodged in hotels at the expense of the Church in Nigeria. From the start their focus was on the assets of the Church in Italy, they were not interested in whatever challenges or liabilities that were inherent in the Church. When the emissaries finally sat down with Akinyemi, he was not accused of embezzlement or mismanaging the resources of the Church. He wasn’t accused of preaching false doctrine or immoral behaviour. Wait for it, he was accused of not attending online bible studies conducted from Lagos. Italy and Spain were especially cited in this regard. This accusation was punctured by evidence of notes taken during such online meetings. The next accusation was that he doesn’t attend the Global Crusade. But Akinyemi argued that Italy attended the crusades more than other Deeper Life Churches in other nations. Finally, he was accused of being disobedient to Pastor Kumuyi in 2007 because he refused to sell a property as directed by the GS and use the proceeds to settle debts. Akinyemi reiterated there was no way he could have sold any of the Church properties because of Italian laws.

Verdict
The emissaries informed Akinyemi that Kumuyi has directed them to urged him to step aside because the GS said he Akinyemi was “bitter towards him.” Akinyemi denied begrudging Kumuyi but insisted he was resentful of “a system that treated you like a slave.”
“It is all about money and I am seen as an obstacle to getting money from Southern Europe. However, the fact is that there is no money in Southern Europe. We have no savings in banks, and the brethren are already doing much in terms of vows to help solve our local problems. Why put other unbearable burdens on them?” Akinyemi queried.
According to him, “this has led to a split in the church in Italy – the unreasonable demands of the church, the unwillingness to wait for us to solve our problems and then start to support Lagos, the autocratic command and comply that will not bend.”


https://afrolifemagazines.com/2022/11/12/4deeper-life-bible-church-italy-in-disarray-over-money/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFccO0FmPGo

AcuraZDX:

this not C. RONALDO.

“ It was a great honor to watch today’s World Cup match alongside Prime Minister Akhannouch of Morocco.
No matter who you’re rooting for, it was remarkable to watch how much this team has been able to achieve.”

Listen to your members. They’re being milked and forced to contribute every month, when majority of them can’t even feed their families. The crusade shouldn’t be held every month and members forced to foot the bill!

You haven’t answer my question!

Kobojunkie:
Stop with the foolishness!

Jesus Christ did not give His followers laws regarding what hair adornments they can or cannot wear. What that means is you sin against Jesus Christ when you proffer these albeit ridiculous ideas using His name as though these issues are of direct concern to the Kingdom of God.

Did you even listen to the video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ve3TUzzxl8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Ft3fV1B0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCjaccWmK0I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmtzV8kxqW4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSGxEBzB8c&t=293s

Kobojunkie:
A better question ought to be of what value is your hair to the Kingdom of God? Does God care what you do with your hair, which is made of the elements of this here world?

your natural hair is created by God and for His glory!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8_suLp7LbQ

Found this video, from a Ghanaian christian woman very informative.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSGxEBzB8c

Acmepreneur:
This my guy is not serious at all.

I used to tell myself change is the only permanent thing in life bla bla bla. And I really believe that once you take the right steps, you can be anything you want to be. This made me to be very soft with people.

When I started dating my Boyfriend, I really was not choosy or judgy. I accepted him without a second thought. I'm not the type of lady that actually do all those lady stuff, I'm a very serious person and I don't play games at all.
My BF is very cool, like not bad looking, normal behaviour etc and I like him a lot.

I'm a very ambitious person, with an extremely big dreams, my boyfriend is also hard working, but I'm not seeing any future at all with his career/prospects/life. When I say I'm with big dreams, it's means I'm working on discovering (new innovations), planning big business that would compete with top brands etc. I'm that big in dreams.

My children is also very important to me, I don't plan for their sufferings at all.
I'm an introvert, I find solace in my aspirations, dreams. I have books I work out those formulas (I mean how I would execute my business plans), I research a lot, think a lot etc

Our fight now

Since day 1, I do tell him to do this and that. I really hate company works, so I would tell him to have savings, and be building something sideways where he works. Also, I wanted him to do Masters, since he said he would love to travel out, he's always saying he hates Nigeria bla bla bla. His dad also wanted him to do Masters, but he's in the crew of Masters is a waste of time, and he can't do Masters in Nigeria bla bla bla

Baby try this business, he would say he doesn't have money, he needs 2 million to start a business etc.

Meanwhile, he doesn't have money to travel out of the country to do Masters, nor 2m to start any business. So I would tell him to manage what he has first, and that would propelled him later, but he likes to talk like illiterates that Masters is meaningless.

Meanwhile, while that is true, those things are just like investment, you don't know when you will see an opportunity to use your Masters certificate, and since he studied computer science, I told him that it can even help him get a job outside Nigeria when he leaves, that it can be useful there. I understand the situation of the country, but not having masters doesn't mean you will get a job as well, so why don't you just have it.

My bf would shut me off, and also his dad, the dad even asked him to take job at the federal university where he works, but my bf said he can't work in that place, this is a federal government job o, he would say the salary is too small and people there already knows him, because his dad is in a big office in the university.

So it won't seem like I'm disturbing him, I went quiet, but might chip it in in discussions, but I don't fight him on those things. He works in a small company, and he rose to the position of a Manager, he spent all his time in office, the little time to waste with his friends. It's a good thing but I'm not comfortable with that, the pay is about 90k, which is not enough for his expenses, also he's the first born.

Fast forward to last year, his dad died, it looks like a film trick to him, he now have to take care of his siblings and mum (mum is nurse, but retired long time ago, her pay is little because it wasn't normal retirement). Everything I was telling him finally came to pass.

He rented an apartment with His friends, he later hated it, and said he wants his own, he went to rent an apartment of 600k (he gathered it from different places and he borrowed), which I really hate and we fought on that as well. Because he could have used the money to secure his life in a better way, since his complain when I told him to start a business is that he doesn't have money bla bla bla

He will not apply for better jobs as well
He's practically doing nothing to grow, and would say he hates Nigeria and he would like to leave, but he can't even apply for scholarships or even google schools.

So this 2020, Jan 1, I started fighting him, that I'm not going to continue with him like that, that he should go apply for MSC, start a business or just do something. He now started saying that he has responsibilities which are his siblings, I told him this is the nonsense, he would do till the year ends, we will fight and later resolve it.

He won't even talk about it, or get reminded, he makes me feel Hus boss is using him. I have told him several times how he would be used and dumped, in fact, he makes me say negatives sometimes, and that's because I have seen people that get dumped while working with companies and they fall back to grass, my mum won't even accept him because he works in a company, small company, not cocacola or big companies. My mum hates company works like shits because we've heard and seen people falling to zero due to company jobs.

The problem
1. He says I'm disturbing his life, and not allowing him to rest

2. I'm not happy with him living that way, with no future, no investment, hes not building himself while working, hes not doing courses, not learning any skills, and I think its too risky.
His current salary is not enough for him, not to talk of me collecting part of it. But he gives me money though, has not been more than 1k, 2k and data subscription which I really appreciate.

3. I can't introduce him to my family because I want him respected. Truth is I don't know what he would say to impress my parents because I'm not even impressed with him. And I want him to be superloved and respected. I believe in first impression would last very long. He has introduced me to his family and all friends

4. He never ask me about my own life, aspirations, advice me etc, I'm always the one to do that. Yesterday he had the gut to tell me I'm not caring because of just two days of not showing care

5. Corona has turned his company outside down and he's highly affected. Just like all what I was telling him finally happened, and he has nothing to fall back at. He has a car,

6. I can't marry him or anyone this way, and I'm getting old, though and I want marriage next year. He said he wants too, but I can't marry him like this. And I don't want to get to late twenties, and he breaks up and I start looking for husband, people would be thinking maybe I have a problem that is why I'm yet to marry, they won't know that its him that caused my delay. Plus I have a very high esteem, so I would hate to be desperate for marriage with a man or be the one to be wanting marriage so much in a relationship

7. Right now, we have temporarily break up, so I'm asking if I should break up or make up? Because he was saying rubbish last night

Note: I'm not a fan of dating and rubbish, I love him very much and I don't want to leave him at all. I don't think there's any man I can date as I do not like dishonesty at all and 95% of men are dishonest. My BF is very honest and good I'm every other aspect

You love him and still go ahead to post this rubbish? All I hear talk and obviously you’re no different than usual gold digger. You have all this dreams and ambitions, yet you want him to take care of you and give you money? You sit down telling what to do, what about what he wants to do? Who told you masters degree is requirement for success? You’re definitely not good for him and I wish he realizes that early enough to walk awa!

XaintJoel20:
Elections are really around the corner.

Since when did Buhari start congratulating GEJ on his birthday. The PMB I know is vindictive and would never had done this if not to curry favor from gullible electorates.
Ti be honest, GEJ does not need his birthday message...

Who are you again?

Omudia11:
Hausas/Muslims rarely ever marry for love. It is always arranged marriage. I don't know of 2 southern billionaire children who have married. My friend once told me about his then 17yr old Gf that just broke the news to him that she was marrying in a few days.

stereotype!! Mumu

modath:


Maybe but it would also be nice if they can try and pay gratuity of civil servants who retired within the past year as well... [b]All the retirees [/b]from October 2015 till date have not seen a dime of their gratuities, not to talk of being placed on pension.... Lots of aged 60s and all their maladies plenty inside..

You can ask people not to pilfer when they are not sure of when their entitlements will be paid to them, these people aren't finding it funny ATM..


Cc Presidency .....

How do you all the retirees weren't paid? Did you talk to all the retirees?

wadetaw202:

How exactly is UBA rewarding this man? For crying out loud, he returned $10,000!!! If they haven't rewarded him by this time, when will they do it?

It is even funny that the customer, whose money was returned, never thought it right to drop something for the guy,not even $1,000!!!
What if the guy had escaped with the money?
What if someone else saw the money and absconded with it before the security man could see the money?!
UBA and that their customer are just unreasonable.

Do you have brain at all or you just can't comprehend at all? He said he was rewarded more than he expected and that the person who dropped the money, the money wasn't his he was just a messenger and he prayed for him! You are here displaying ignorance.

FemiFimile:
It is well. There is no problem, I hope the North will show same decorum as the south wen the tables are turned.


It will not be too long now. Buhari is setting a precedent that will be followed in the future.


Call GEJ names but one thing is certain, he was not a biggot. He had a Northern IG through out his Presidency.

Wao This thing deny really pain PMB Arase a northerner? Who appointed him?

He did not say that , only quoted someone who said it look well people

viviangist:
caption

Everything from top to shoes by @miskayboutique

No makeup Friday. I woke up like this. Bare face beat by @makeup_addicion

source https://instagram.com/p/9MOiuDMfey/?taken-by=lauraikeji

this ugly thing...waste of space

moki123:
If you had read my post very well, you will see where i stated that she told me about escapades, so it is not a hearsay. the issue is not even about her involvement, but about the fact that i don't want the relation being prolong any longer due to my inability to come home for and she is under intense pressure from family and friends. I love and will do anything to help her go through it with less stress. we will both be hurt. thanks

my brother just follow your heart forget these hidiots

dustmalik:
In as much as i would like to see Joy Ogwu sacked or be recalled by the federal government for her incompetency and for deliberately sabotaging Buhari's itineraries which, in turn, led to a gargantuan embarrassment on the person of my beloved President, it's not possible. Though her tenure expires in December 2015, which is barely two months from now. The emboldened, in my opinion, means she can't be sacked or recalled by the federal government. Read below



NB - This is my opinion, and also to educate those calling for her sack. For the bigots on here, you can insult me all you want, but i'll not be replying

I think you got it all wrong. A credited TO means she assigned to an international organization rather than the head of the government of the country s/he is residing to carry out the assignment. But still appointed BY the president of her country and the labor law gives the foreign ministry power through the due process to recall her.

hinwazaka:

GIVE ME YOUR EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS.

Here you go again...tying intelligence or success to Educational qualifications...again olodo!

hinwazaka:
SO IN ESSENCE, FROM THE PIC OF THE EMIR ON YOUR THREAD, ONLY THE NORTH CAN LEAD US TO THE PROMISED LAND. ZOMBIE, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SAUL AS YOUR LEADER, WHEN MOSES AND JOSHUA ARE AVAILABLE. AS THE BIBLE SAYS" OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE".

olodo did you even read the piece?

thorpido:
Was the post you quoted written in french?

Slowpoke

lol, your low IQ can't decode ....